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Hmm, yeah. I did just that, last night. Performed a customised version of that ritual. I've had the best sleep in weeks.

Well I thought I'm going to perform a cleansing ritual anyway, might as well incorporate the lbpr. And I found something startling. I called out for a deity to protect me when needed... guess who answered?

Ask, believe, receive. Thoughts become things!
I've made it a point not to regret anything I've done, there is no point in it because you can't change it~~RunningRiot
democracy is a failed system, people are just too stupid to realise their votes never matter anymore~~Valnorran

Was able to by the cord today. I have it braided, and the tassle gave me fits so I put it down for the present time. The prayer beads I did a while back. I don't seem to have the incidence of interuptions going down the way I was hoping it would. I'm loving the journaling. I'm having some great insights.

Ask, believe, receive. Thoughts become things!
I've made it a point not to regret anything I've done, there is no point in it because you can't change it~~RunningRiot
democracy is a failed system, people are just too stupid to realise their votes never matter anymore~~Valnorran

Hmm, yeah. I did just that, last night. Performed a customised version of that ritual. I've had the best sleep in weeks.

Well I thought I'm going to perform a cleansing ritual anyway, might as well incorporate the lbpr. And I found something startling. I called out for a deity to protect me when needed... guess who answered?

I know I'm coming in really late with this, but I have a few basic questions before I really get started.
1. Is it bad if I use a cord of another colour until I can go get the supplies to make my own? Specifically, dk. blue? And does the answer change if I visualize the cord as black and white? ^_^ Or should I just hold off until I can make my own?
2. I generally wear a light blue robe. This is ok, is it not?
3. Do you recommend our mantras to be short, as in a few syllables? Or can I go with the 7-syllable Manjushri mantra? (I already chant that one between classes.) And do you honestly expect me to not have "rooster" popping in my head during meditation now? lol ^_^

I've already got a mala, so that's cool. And the journal is no problem. I've actually done something similar to the LBRP from Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki's book "Daughter of Eve". Except it has Yeheshua in place of JHVH, ADNI, etc. Anyway, I'll post my answers to the questions and my initial experiences with the LBRP shortly.

Ok, so I've purposefully not read through anyone's reply to the discussion questions so I can have my own unadulterated answers before comparing them to others.
Discuss your understanding of the phrase ‘To dare, To will, To know, To be silent’. What does this mean to you and why is it considered a motto that many practitioners adhere to strictly. I think "to dare" speaks to the confidence of the practitioner. He has to be willing to step outside normalcy, to be unafraid of trying new things, or else he will stagnate. "To will" I think would mean that a person should follow their path with purpose and meaning and confidence again. Applying it to "to dare", one must not just do daring things for their own sake, but one cannot be afraid to follow one's will when it leads into the unknown. Acting with purpose and decisiveness. "To know" is more difficult. I think perhaps this means that a practitioner should *know* in a deep manner what their doing, and not simply repeating words or following formulae. This isn't just cursory knowledge, it's deep, embedded-in-your-soul knowing. And "to be silent". I think this may have to do with not speaking just to speak or fill silence. I'm thinking of the 8-fold path's "right speech"... not gossip, not small talk, but speaking with meaning and power when you speak, and being silent when you aren't going to speak with meaning.

Discuss the following: “Magic Speaks to the subconscious of man through symbols and rituals” Well, I think this seems kind of obvious, but I'll do my best. In everyday life, we pick up on so much more than we're conscious of. Every word has at least ten connotations, and everything we deal with has a kind of "semantic field"... Therefore, we can influence the state of our mind by influencing the things we see. Mostly we do this without really thinking it through. For example, when I'm stressed, I'll go walk in the woods. I don't think it's just the energy of being around trees that calms me, I think it's a lot of symbolic reference to my childhood, to particular experiences with trees, etc, etc... So I think ritual and ritual symbolism is simply a calculated way of producing a specific state of mind in the subconscious. We train our minds to make certain associations with certain colors/tools/etc., and then we have a simple way of getting to the right state of mind. Of course, some people have such radically different associations that they have a hard time using the same symbols, so they either struggle through or they alter the ritual symbolism to fit themselves. As far as ritual itself goes, it's a collection of symbolic acts and objects brought together for a specific purpose. It's designed to engage the person and to tranform the person, and it does so through these altered states of mind.

Discuss the Following: “There is no part of me that is not of the gods” Well, immediately my mind jumps to Prajapati, and creation ex deo. And then to the tantric reaction to purity codes. Bringing in my own thoughts on this, I'd say that this means that we are of the same essence as the gods, a differentiation (real or illusion, take your pick) from the gods, and therefore we cannot place one person over another person, nor can we place more importance on any part of ourselves over another part. The tantrics did this by using traditionally "impure" elements in their rituals to show that it doesn't matter. I suppose one could bring in a creation aspect to this and say that there is no part of me that is not from the gods, meaning that I am essentially derived from or created by them. Again with the lack of essential hierarchy. Also you could interpret this as there is no part of me that does not belong to the gods, stating an idea of complete devotion and surrender to the gods and divine will. This would certainly prevent us from interfering in each other's lives, since we are all directed by something higher than us and cannot say what that may or may not be for the next person.

Discuss the phrase: “As above, so below” The microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm. We contain in our bodies the same stuff of the entire universe. The things that happen at one level of existence, happen at another level of existence. In cosmological terms, it's the universality and interconnectedness of a person with everything ever. In magical terms, I'd say it's a method of affecting changes in other places, by knowing how things work and how to make changes in this place.

And with regards to my first experiences with the LBRP, I did it before sleeping, and while I don't think I probably got it all the way, I did feel a slight tingling. That's a big deal to me, because working just by myself or with one other person, it takes a great, great deal of energy and time before I start to feel anything. (Seriously, it's to the degree that the other person will be practically orgasming, and I'll be like "ooh, I think I feel a bit of a tingle.") I did it again upon waking, and though I think I probably need to work on getting the vibrations just right, I did experience an increase of heat. Right now my experiences are small that I can rationalize them away, but I've only been at this less than 12 hours. I think as I become more comfortable with it, and with practice, I'll get better. ^_^

Oh, it's great that this class is going again! I did my cord some months ago, but since I just got a digital camera, I thought I'd share. It's a weird weave, I know, but I like it. ^_^ That's all. I'm just happy this is running again!

Discussion Questions
Discuss your understanding of the phrase ‘To dare, To will, To know, To be silent’. What does this mean to you and why is it considered a motto that many practitioners adhere to strictly.
To Dare, means to me, to dare to dive into the deepest parts of yourself, to step into deeper meanings, deeper realms, to discover those things that may be unheard of or dangerous... and face them. To will, is to have the strength or will not to back down, not to give up. To know is to know the truths, no lies, to know everything you need to know about yourself and about your surroundings, to know your work, to know what you are doing at all times. To be silent, means not to go blabbing about things you know nothing about, to keep some things quiet, not everyone needs to know everything about everything.

Discuss the following: “Magic Speaks to the subconscious of man through symbols and rituals”
I'm actually not sure what this means....

Discuss the Following: “There is no part of me that is not of the gods”
To think of yourself as a god/goddess. If the gods created us, then we are of them, if they are everywhere and in everything, then the divine is within ourselves, versus a face in the sky.

Discuss the phrase: “As above, so below”
As is above in the 'heavens' it is so below, the earth and skies both know what goes on..

Let the beauty you love, be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.- Rumi

I'd say a thousands words if I knew just which one would make your heartbeat.